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<p>Does anyone have any experience with or advice on travel setups? I am most concerned with a good pole that either breaks down into several pieces or collapses such that it is relatively short in length and is more compatible with backpack travel. I know there are some lightweight options out there, but I was hoping to find something that would handle heavier game such as salmon, catfish, or large cyprinids.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>R</p>
I use a shimano exage mini telespin 7' 10-30g. It packs down to 13" and is fairly light. I've taken it to italy and it has handled some big trout and pike up to 6lb here in England (and I'm sure it could handle much larger.) I've just bought a Golden Mean JJ Pack 6'3" 0.5-3.5g telescopic rod, its a really nice rod that I plan to take to Italy, Denmark and Turkey this year, probably not what you want for bigger fish though.
www.microfishingintheuk.wordpress.com
Yeah travel rods are slim pickings, especially in the heavier powers.
I'd avoid telescoping rods if you can - most are of poor quality, not all but most. I believe there are some super high end options out there - St Croix makes a travel surf rod and I think Loomis might make some salmon travel rods? Options more around the $75-$125, I know Cabelas has some store label heavier travel rods - TRL also has heavier travel rods. You might be to build a suitable travel rod at that price point range, building rods isn't that hard if you have the time. Below that price range you probably aren't going to find much, if anything, in the heavier powers. Sorry, that's the best I can do there really isn't a great selection out there.
Not sure if he'd be able to get that Shimano in the US. If he can, at 30grams I'd agree that it should handle decently large fish. I'm sure being a shimano product the quality would be decent too, unlike the cheapo tele blanks that flood flea-bay
Yeah it's a tough market. I have been looking for a travel casting rod blank for a while, and haven't found one yet. Salmon/sheefish/pike kind of deal capable of tossing a large spoon. Without many options available, I was wondering about cutting a blank and building ferrules...making a one piece into a 4 - is that feasible?
My suggestion would be to get the slimmer aluminum fly rod tubes. I did a 30 mile hiking loop through the BWCAW a few years back. You can get fairly stout 2 piece rods and put the rod in the tube and the reel in your pack. Worked well for me and we tangled with good sized Pike and Smallies along the trail. You can either use the rod tube as a hiking staff or just strap it on the pack, centered of course so not to hit the ground and not to tangle in branches above.
I've been thinking of a smaller similar outfit and thought of a 10-12 weight 4 piece flyrod. You could modify or build your own (or ask Tony nicely to build you one) with a baitcast or heavy duty spin reel seat. Alot of the nicer flyrods are 4 piece and you could get a shorter aluminum tube for easier packing. I've had bad luck with cheaper, multi-piece rods with them spinning or lossening and flying apart when casting, but most of the quality flyrods out there are a real tight fit and strong as anything. 10-12 weight 4 piecers can be a bit expensive, but I have no problem spending the money for a quality outfit that suits my needs perfectly. Just take care of it and it should last forever!
You can cut ferrules. You'd have to build tip-over-butt ferrules, its hard to find any suitable stock to make spiggot ferrules that would handle that kind of load. I know I have an article laying around on how to make tip-over-butt ferrules, you'd need a scrap glass blank to cut up to make the ferrules. I've thought about trying it, it does seem like a lot of work though - it would also void the warranty. Not that most warranties are worth much.
Depending upon what you are looking for 10-12 weight may (or may not) be as heavy as you are looking for.
10wt roughly equals 1/4-5/8oz lure weight
12wt roughly 1/2-1oz lure - which would be (probably) pretty similar to the aforementioned 10-30g tele rod.
Fly blanks are slower in action, which may or may not be a problem for your needs.
Thanks for the leads! It seems like there are more options for heavier gear in saltwater equipment. I don’t think a saltwater rod will mind if I use it in freshwater.
Saltwater travel rods are the way to go. I've used both the Bass Pro and Cabela's versions (ca. $100) and they are fine and really pretty versatile. I'd stay away from telescopics. The heavier rods seem a lot more sturdy than ligher travel rods (I've broken a couple of them). If I had to choose one I'd probably go with the Bass Pro, just seemed a little more robust.
I'm really impressed with the Rovex brand - specifically the Lure Pro. Great action, very responsive slim blank and feels like a two-piece rod. Price is decent also.
This is the rod (the 8') which I used for the inconnu trip back in June and it met my expectations in spades.
The 10 footer will handle up to 3oz casting weight so it should be OK for cats and carp depending on what setup you have in mind.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rovex-Lure-Pro-Quad-4-Piece-Travel-Spinning-Rod-8-10ft-/180731122969?pt=UK_SportingGoods_Fishing_FishingRods_EH&var=&hash=item2a146a1519
The shimano exage telescopic is overpriced junk. I had one and it snapped in half on me.
Eli
I hope to do better with my Shimano four-piece exage. It's a heavier rod than the mini. I paid over $100 for it so I hope it can handle some of the hardship coming its way. I'm done buying any kind of telescopic rod. They all break as far as I know.
mike b
For my trip to Florida last month I bought 2 4-piece Ugly Stiks, medium action, 6 ft. (there's also a 6' 6" version). They feel more like medium-heavy due to the added stiffness of the joints, and they'd have no problem with big fish. I fought a big softshell turtle on one (the line broke eventually) and lots of catfish. Under $30 through Amazon. Only 18" long when broken down. Occasionally the joints would loosen and I'd cast out half the rod and then look around to make sure no one was watching while I frantically reeled in hoping no tarpon would hit.
For the price, they seem very durable and I'm happy about the size for hiking to difficult-to-reach spots.
Redhorse ID cheatsheets, gars, suckers: moxostoma.com
2020: 10 days fishing 11 species 0 lifers. 2019: 34/45/13 2018: 39/40/5
@Gunnar - I haven't tested those ones but most Ugly Stiks (regardless of number of pieces) test out as slightly to significantly heavier than the label suggests. I'm going to post up some test results once things slow down here - maybe March. Wouldn't surprise me if those blanks you speak of top out more around 3/4oz or maybe even 1oz
Wouldn't surprise me either.
I've been pleasantly surprised at how well they cast light lures/spinners, though. At first they felt like it would be hopeless.
Redhorse ID cheatsheets, gars, suckers: moxostoma.com
2020: 10 days fishing 11 species 0 lifers. 2019: 34/45/13 2018: 39/40/5
That actually doesn't surprise me much.
If we had a more effective formula to estimate the low end casting range of spinning rods I would guess that most ugly stik would cast a wider weight range than the average rod blank. Lures are cast with the upper third or so of the rod blank. Heavy lures with the full upper third, lighter lures with less of it (maybe a quarter of it?). The solid glass tip, less than a foot long in my best estimates, leading into a tubular glass (or graphite, depending upon model) build up for the rest of the blank creates an atypical action. The top several inches are extremely soft, and stiff up quickly as you get into the tubular section. The solid section adds weight - which helps load the rod further when using light lures - and provides the needed durability to deal with heavier lures.
It is an action you really can't duplicate without making the rod partially or entirely out of solid glass. Of course solid glass is heavy and not sensitive (in hand) so the gains are tempered by losses - you end up with strengths and weaknesses, just like any rod.
I'll probably get a little flack for this as I know many anglers on this site use them, but I am not a fan of Ugly Sticks. I like fast action, stiff backbone, and sensitive tips. Those Uglies are very strong, but too whippy and dense feeling in my opinion. Not a rod builder yet, so maybe its the "glass" I don't like? I typically go for bass or pike style flippin' rods as I don't like the rod to bend except for the top 1/3rd or so. I had a Shimano Compre, I believe and it was my favorite rod. Real stiff backbone for sending the hook home and pulling fish out of cover, but a sensitive tip for light bites and shock absorbtion.
Good luck with the "travel rods" though. All the setups I've looked at so far at Gander, Fleet Farm, and Cabela's just don't do it for me. I'd look for somthing custom.
Mags - Sounds like a personal distaste for slower action rods - and likely, in particular, rods that are not very responsive (ie glass). Personal taste in rods is major factor in picking them, everybody is different. Ultimately, if one is be completely fair different blanks have very different properties and would be ideal for different situations.
For example soft glass rods are ideal for short line trolling, downrigging, planer boards. They are also good for tightline (rod holder) circle hook stuff. Also a good bet for some ice fishing senerios. Mostly glass excels for absorbing shock while keeping a tight line on hooked fish.
Graphite, of course, excels for any time that you want to feel the fish hit. It also crushes glass for casting lures and jigging - due to quicker response and lower weight. Also far better if you need/want to set the hook (ie not trolling or circle hooks).
Yeah, I don't know thats my preferance. However Tony you said "Also far better if you need/want to set the hook (ie not trolling or circle hooks). " I've always set the hook while trolling! Can't see why you wouldn't unless trolling for Marlin or anything like that that they do at high speeds. I can't seem to get myself to put the rod down while fishing. I have rod holders and have used them, but hate em'. I know alot of guys use circle hooks and they do have there place, but I'm not a fan of them either......? Maybe old fashion? I like to feel the fish nibble, take the bait, and send em' home. I really don't care for setting it up in a rod holder with a circle hook and just reeling in a fish when the rod is bouncing. Part of me has no problem with MN having a 1 line rule in summer. I like trapping furbearers, but running from line to line just reeling fish in seems to take the challenge out of it a bit?
Way off the subject here, but just started to go with it, sorry.
Interesting - goes to show different people approach things differently. I (try to) never set the hook when trolling. Reguardless of species my catch rate goes up when I don't set the hook. Even at slow speeds the fish freak out when they realize that the crank/spoon isn't food - between the forward motion and the fishes motion the hooks bury nicely. I do know that on King Salmon a hookset almost guarantees an instant loss of fish and that is only at 2mph - I proved that a couple times my first time out...